Frenchmen sell EMG President

The French Lagardere may sell at the end of the last asset in Russia - "European Media Group" (EMG), which controls radio networks "Europe Plus" and "Retro FM". Offer to purchase, according to the newspaper "Kommersant", made EMG founder and president George Polinski: end of September, he founded the "Zephyr", which will issue the purchase. EMG, the largest estimated by the revenue radiobiznes in Russia about $ 150 million, "European Media Group" - Lagardere last asset in Russia in June, she sold the American Hearst Corp. and Victor Shkulev its 51% magazines in the publishing group APS IMG ( Elle, Maxim, TV Guide "Antenna Telesem" etc.). In the summer she was looking for a buyer and a 100% EMG said sources in the radio market. Buy Lagardere offer EMG, the company "Zephyr", for it made one of the founders and President of the Russian group Georges Polinski, says a source close to them. "SPARK-Interfax" Incorporation and testify that Mr. Polinski actually owns 99% of the facilities in late September, LLC "Marshmallow", another 1% - the company's CEO Gregory Kuzenkova. Sam Georges Polinski confirmed "Kommersant" that the "Zephyr" is designed specifically offered for the acquisition of EMG for sale. At headquarters Lagardere has not to respond to the inquiry yesterday. EMG was "Europe Plus" on the basis of the radio station that broadcast in Moscow began in early 1990 and has created a presence in more than 200 cities. EMG now also operates on behalf of customers networks "Retro FM" (about 200 cities), "Radio 7" (60 cities), "Cake FM" (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Voronezh), "Fresh Radio" (Moscow) and sells advertising in radio and Internet (avito.ru, kinopoisk.ru etc.). Lagardere EMG became co-owner in the mid-1990s and in 2004 became a 100-percent owner. According to the source "b" know reporting EMG sales amounted in 2010 to 1,973,000,000 rubles. (About CAD $ 65 million), EBITDA - 409.4 million rubles. ($ 13.5 million), profit - 263.1 million rubles. ($ 8.7 million). Born in France, Mr. Polinski is not a foreign investor - in 2007 he received Russian citizenship, and therefore do not need special permits. In this case, the founder of EMG, were the participants of the media market will be easy to gain political support, because he personally acquainted with Vladimir Putin in the 1990s. With the future prime minister he met when he ran the "Europe Plus" in Petersburg, Putin, while written in the Town Hall for the contacts with foreign investors. "He's our friend," - Georges Polinski French newspaper Liberation said in 2006. However, he stressed businessman, Mr Putin, he "never for something asked".